Manchester United may be able to draw on Matthijs de Ligt’s childhood memories as they look to sign the Dutch defender. Reports indicate that the Red Devils are seriously considering a move for De Ligt. Independent of a separate deal for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
De Ligt’s past comments could provide United with some encouragement. During his time at Ajax, he revealed that his childhood hero was Cristiano Ronaldo, and he often pretended to be the former Manchester United striker while playing in the garden.
In an interview with Dutch outlet vi.nl, De Ligt shared: “Everything is going fast. During the season, in the club and during the various competitions, you don’t really have time to think about it. However, sometimes I realise it, as recently when I had dinner with my childhood friends who I used to play with. We came to the conclusion that I always wanted to be Cristiano Ronaldo when we played soccer in the garden. Especially during the period when he played at Manchester United. That dinner took place immediately after the two challenges against Juventus, in which I had to face Ronaldo.”
De Ligt later became Ronaldo’s teammate after completing a £67m move to Juventus the following month. He spent three years in Italy before transferring to German giants Bayern Munich in 2022.
When asked about his future during Euro 2024, De Ligt remained tight-lipped. He said at a press conference, “I’ve already said this is not the time for me to think about it. We’re playing at the Euros now and that’s very important for me and the national team. That’s why I can’t say now what I think about this situation. But what I can say is that I’ve now played my second season at Bayern – I’m very happy. For now I’m focused on the Euros and then we’ll see what happens.”
De Ligt, 24, made 30 appearances in all competitions for Bayern Munich last season and has three years left on his contract at the Allianz Arena. Despite a challenging season at the club level, his struggles have continued into Euro 2024. Where he has yet to play a single minute.
The Netherlands advanced to the last-16 as one of the best third-placed teams and will face surprise package Romania on Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals.
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